The pandemic paralyzed their sport, the global economy lost its balance.
Where others would have hesitated, Swedish equestrian star Henrik von Eckermann and his wife Janika Sprunger dared to take the leap.
They took the plunge.
Today, we're living our dream, says the rider who is one of Sweden's top OS hopes.
He is visibly proud as he shows off what he and Janika Sprunger have created near the town of Kessel in Limburg on the Dutch countryside.
Cyor stables is not just the base and starting point for the world's top show jumpers.
It's also his and his family's home.
Cyor stands for "Create your own reality". And that's exactly what we're doing, creating our own reality, says Henrik von Eckermann.
He rests his hands on the decimeter-thick and several meters long oak board, sawn in one piece. Against one of the walls, trophies are lined up in the well-filled trophy cabinet. Through the room's large window, he watches Noah play outside with the family's nanny.
I had a fantastic upbringing on a farm, and that's probably what made us invest in this. Noah can run around, drive a little tractor, move freely. I thought that was cool, and I think he does too.
Neighbor Emile Hendrix, also in the equestrian business, had a meadow he could sell a few hundred meters away from the old country road Keizersbaan, 20 minutes southwest of the city of Venlo.
When we saw the trees and everything, we got a vision of how it could look. We were very interested. He was also very nice to us. We didn't have to buy the land until we had all the building permits and approvals. We got time to sort it out and finance it.
The construction started on June 6, 2020. By then, the pandemic had already paralyzed the world for a while. A year later, Noah was born. Two days after he arrived in April 2021, the family moved into the house next to the facility.
The knife on the throat
Henrik looks back and concludes:
We were lucky to build just before the costs skyrocketed. Now, we wouldn't have had a chance to build this. Everything has become so ridiculously expensive.
Today, he's living his dream.
Just the fact that we've managed to build some kind of security means a lot. This is an investment for the future, for the family. That's what I'm most satisfied with, because during the pandemic, it was the knife on the throat.
This is our life. Every single krona we earn, we put into this. You only have one life.
Family life has given Henrik von Eckermann a deeper perspective on life. Frustration after a less successful competition subsides faster.
"We have it so good"
To all the victories he's collected, he can add a major personal win.
He feels a deep gratitude.
We often say when things go badly that we have it so good. I think about it every day. You see how it is in the world, so much suffering. It's almost like you try to shut it out (all the misery) because it takes a toll on you. That's why I'm a person who doesn't like to talk about negative things.
It eats away at you. Every time you pick up that damn phone, it's someone who's been shot or there's a war.
It's time to lead King Edward out of the box for a training session. Groom Stina Löfgren helps Henrik with some tasks.
The dog Gismo follows with a wagging tail, watching what's going on. Farrier Vincent Lamaille is bent over a hoof, shoeing one of the stable's horses.
The only thing disturbing the peace is the sound of a chainsaw. A neighbor is clearing a forest thicket next to the paddock. Otherwise, a sense of calm prevails, but everything follows a methodically laid-out schedule.
Henrik von Eckermann is marked by his upbringing, by all the years with four-time OS gold medalist Ludger Beerbaum in Germany. There should be order and discipline.
Then he took orders, now he gives them.
How are you as a boss?
I think I'm okay. What I demand is ambition. That people make mistakes is human and okay. I would probably need to praise more.
I want to pay my employees well, I want them to have it good, feel that it's fun to work here. I'm probably old-fashioned in that I want to treat others the way I want to be treated. It should be uncomplicated and straightforward.
Henrik Skiöld/TT
Facts: Henrik von Eckermann
Born: May 25, 1981.
Lives: Kessel, the Netherlands.
Family: Wife Janika Sprunger, son Noah, three years old.
Top horses right now: King Edward, Iliana, Glamour Girl, Calizi.
Top championship merits: World Championship gold individually and in team 2022, OS gold in team 2021, World Championship silver in team 2018, European Championship gold in team 2023, European Championship silver in team 2017, European Championship bronze in team 2013, World Cup winner 2023 and 2024, World Cup bronze 2017 and 2018.
Other: Winner of Svenska Dagbladet's Bragdguld, winner of the Jerring Prize.
World ranking: Number one (since August 2022).
Current: Riding for medals individually and in team at the OS, which takes place in the Palace of Versailles park outside Paris. The competitions start on August 1 with the team event.
Janika Sprunger, Swiss. Wife, colleague, competitor
Cristiano Pasquini, Italian. Veterinarian
Vincent Lamaille, Belgian. Farrier
Louise Barraud, French. Groom
Stina Löfgren, Swedish. Groom
Molly Meldgaaard, Swedish. Groom
Ann Verschoore, Dutch. Office and administration
Charlotte Verger, French. Janika Sprunger's groom.
